Automatic lubricant-supply system for internal-combustion engines



'3. MAHUN. AU'ONIANC LUBNCANT SUPPLY SYSTEM EUR INTERNAL COMBUSTIGN ENGlNES.

APLCATiDN ILED M'K. 23, i-V HWED JUNE 24, 1919. l,328,84.3.

` Patented Jan. 2", 1920 2 SHEETS-SHEU 3 n fundo@ S. L. MAREN.

AUTOMAHC LUBHiCAN SUPHY SYSTEM FOR )NYERML CMBUSHON ENGINES.

APPUCATIGN HLED APR. 23. lame. awww juni 24.1919.

1,328,843. Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 24 6.1/91'. hamac-o l sight tube whereby UNITED s'rA'rn's pnfrnn'r OFFICE.

STEVIE L. MARTIN, 0F SNYDE. OKLAHOMA.

AUTOMATIC LUBRICANT-BUPPlJY SYSTEM FOR INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINES.

Bpecication of Letters Patent.

Application tiled April 23, 1918, Serial No. 230,305. Renewed June 24, 1919. Serial No. 306,464.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, S'rnvln ll. MAnrlN, e citizen of the l'nited Stilles, residin at Snyder, in the county oi' Kiowa and intatte oit' Oklahoma, have invented Certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Lib bricant-Supply Systems for Internal-Uombustion Engines, of whih the following is a specification.

This invention relates to nn nutomnllu lubricant supply system for motor vehicle: :1nd has ns its prinmry ob'ect to provide n eonstruotion wherein -the lubricant will be nutonmtienlly supplied lo the` :frank ense of the engine and maintained ut n predetermined level therein.

The invention hns :is :l further objerl to provide an arrangement wherein the device may be adjusted for varying the leve] nt which the lubricant shall he maintained in the crank ease.

A. still further `object of the invention is to provide a construction employing n lubrgunt supply tank und wherein the die charge of lubricant from the suid tank to the orank oase of the ,engine will be regulated by the control of thevent for the said tank.

A still further object of vthe invention in this connection is to provide n construction wherein the lubricant, upon reaching a pre determined level .in the rrank cose. will close the vent to the supplftl tank for thus outting off 'further dishzirge oi the lubricant from the supply tunic.

The invention hns as n still further ohject to provide :i umnstrnetion employing n y the level of the luhricunt inthe enginemrmik onse! muy he readily observed and also whereby the position of ndjustn'ient of the regulnting screw control ling the venting of`-tliesupp y tank may also be eusil y ascertained."

And the invent-'on hnS `een still further ob'jeet to providen safety rut o for the discharge pipe'of the sup )ly tank mak-ing itr impossihle'to open or fill the tank except when said disohafr tube is closedand thereby avoiding poseii le flooding of the engine crank ease. i

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds, and in the drawings wherein I ferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein similar reference characters desighwve illustrated'the premitii-.orresponding parte throughout theI several views:

Figure 1 is u, fragmentary side elevation showing my improved supply system in con` necl'lon with n conventional type of motor vehicle engine.

Fig. 2 is u perspective view illuetrntiimr the system more in detail,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary verticaliv ser-tional view particularly illustrating the mounting of the sight tube of the system as well es the mounting.r of the regulnting, screw employed,

Fig., 4 is n. fragmentary horizonte? -.seo lionel view tuigen on the line Lim-i of Vig'. l und particularly showing the ennstrinztion of .the protecting; coge for the sight inw, nlltl y Fig. 5 is n fragmentary section-.ii View taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. B.

ln order that the construction und operotion of my improved system me.. be neeurately understood I have, in the rnwings. shown the system in connection with n oonrentionnl type of motor vehicle engine 10 lmving a, crunk cese 11. This crank is, :it one side thereof, provided at its rear end with the usual vertically spaced oil level tests cooks, the uppermost one of' which shown at l2.

In order that the present invention, may be connected with the crank vase the lower most test cook is removed, and threaded into the openingr normally occupied by nich lower test'coekis a union 1-'3 to which is connenrrd n T complying' M carrying;r u drain cock 15 :it its outer end. Threaded into the side ontlet of the T Coupling ie the lute-ral. outlet. 16

of a stand pipe or sight tube supporting` member. This member includes, as partien-4 lerly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, e hollow body 17 from one side of `which the outlet 16h-nds sind extendingr from the bodyv nt its opposite side is u nipple 19.. Threaded into the` upper end of the body is a protecting' onge 19 for e transparent stond pipe or sight tube 20. This slght tube is supported et its lower end hy an annular flange 21 within the body 1T of the supporting member and is rested upon n suitable gasket 22 seating against the said llunge. upper end the sight tube is closed hy a; cap Q3 carried h v the onge and interposed between the seid en and the upper edge of the tube is n f-:nitable gasket 2t. Thus i-.t will At its I a plug 32 be seen that the cage may be adjusted within the upper end of the lbody 17 of the su porting member for tight y clamping t e sight tube in position between the gaskets 22 and 24.

Extending from the nipple 18 of the supporting member is a pipe 25 connected at one end with the said elbow by a suitable union nut 26. At its opposite end this .ipe communicates with an elbow 27 exten mg from the bottom of a lubricant supply tank 28 and is connected with the said elbow by a suitable union nut 2u. Intex-posed in the length of the pipe is a cut ofi' valve 30 of approved type which is located m a plane wdJacent to the'rear end of the tank.. The tank 28 is pre'ferably formed ol' suitable sheet metal and i's provided with a liller tube 31 disposed adjacent the outer rear corner of the tank and removably receiving providing an airtight closure for the tank. As particularly bronht out in `Fig. l of the drawings, the tank 1s mounted on av level above the up er end of the sight tube 20 and is prefere. y seated upon the ledge of the engine crank case 1l at the adjacent side thereof to be held upon the said Vledge by the engine intake manifold. However, any other suitable means may be em loyed for securing the tank in position and) it will be seen that by thus locating the' tank, the lubricating oil t erein will be kept warm and iiuent in cold weather.

Fitted through the top wall of the tank is an elbow 33 and extending from this elbow is a flexible vent pipe 34 connected to The said elbow by a suitable .union 35. 'ibis pipe extends downwardly and rearwardly from the tank to a point over the upper end of the sight tube 20 and, at its free extremity, is connected by a union 36 to the upper enlarged end of a hollow regulatin screw 37 threaded throu h the cap 23 of t e cage 19 for the sight wie to extend axially Within the said tube. Thus. the tank 28 will be vented from within the sight 'tube through the regulating screw 37 and pipe 34, the cap 23of the cage being provided with Suitabilf, vent o enin 38.

In use, tie va ve 30 is first closed, when` the plu 32 of the tank 28 is removed and the tan lilled with suitable lubricatin oil. The plug is then replaced to close the tank airtight and the valve again opened. Upbn the opening of this valve the lubricant from the tank will, as will now be clear, flew thgzugh the pipe25 and through the sight tu As the level of the lubri level in the sight tube 20 will rise accord ingly until the loverend of the regulatin screw 3? becomes submer d to close the sai screw. Supply of air to t e' tank for displacing the oil discharged therefrom will thus be connection it will e supporting member into the crank case 11 of the engine.

eating oil rises within the crank case, the oil automatically ("ut oli' at the regulating' screw by the oil within the si ht tube so that no additional oil will then gepermitted vto flow into the crank case. However, as the oil in the crank case is used up by the running of the engine and the level of the oil in the crank case is again lowered to consequently expose the inner end of the regulating screw, a further supply of oil from the tank will then be immediately permitted to flow into the crank case for maintaining the-oil in the crank case at a constant level. I therefore provide a system wherein the oil will be automatically supplied to the crank case and maintained at a constant level therein. In this connection it will now be also readily seen that the level at which the oil in the crank case shall be maintained muy be readily varied by simply adjusting the refu lating screw 37 vertically within the sig t tube, the position` of the inner end of this tube vertically` With respect to the crunk case determinlng the level to which the oil shall rise in the crank case when the How of oil from the tank will be cut oli'. 0bviously, this construction provides a very desirable and convenient arrangement since by making tests of engine efficiency at different levels of oil in the crank case, a particular level at which the engine will operate s., most effectively may be discovered. This- ]evel determined, my improved system will then automaticall operate to maintain the lubricant within tiie crank case at such level.

In orde-r that a positive check ma behad 10u u r in the operation of the system tie transparent stand pipe or sight tube 20 is employed so that the level of the oil in the crank case may always be positively determined by glanein at this tube. In this 105 noted that the lateral outlet 16 of the sight tube supporting member rises above the lower end of the sight tube so that oil flowing through the said member will always be visible within the 110 tube. Should the T coupling 14 and its connection become clogged, the upper test cock 12 of the crank case, being unaffected by the application of my system to the engine, may be opened for determining the level of the oil in the crank case,` and in aliy instance Where such clogging should occur the drain cock 19 may, of course, be opened for clearing 'the said coupling and connection. Furthermore, this cock provides ay means whereby the crank case may, when desired.

be drained of the lubricatin oil therein Connected to the rear end wa l of the tank .are spaced vertically alined brackets 39 and rotatably .fitted throughl these brackets is an operating rod 40. At its lower end this rod 1s formed with a fork 41 axially engaged with the plug stem of the valve 30 while, at its upper end, the said rod is formed wlth a laterally directed terminal or 13o geen willbeseent Qduced inYL has been4 closed.

handle 42 movable, to extend over the tank and thus lock accidental dis lacement.

'liet under normal conditions the closure plug 82 cannot become loosened toventtlie tank and cause consequent floodengine crank case. Furthermore, this lug cannot be removed until the handle 4g 0F 40 has been rotated to close the lvalve 30. Therefore, when lilling the tank, a' fresh 'su A 1y of-lubrieant cannot be introo tank until after the valve 80 Floodin of the en ine so illing t e tank, wil acoordingl ih aalso be prevented It will thus beeen hat the rod` 40 with its handle 42 provides afsafet cut oil for the tank as eli as lock for t e tank closuieplg. a ll+ will,"tli`erefore, loe-seen that provide a ver] effective construction for the purpose set fortliand whileI have illustrated the systemwsiap lied to an engine the crank f vvlfhie is normally fitted with oil level test cocks, still it will be understood that mymimpoved system may be used with equal e clency upon various other motor vehieleengin Havingthus described what is claimed as new is:

-1. A supply system tor internal combustion engines including a stand pipe adapted for connection with an engine crank case, a suppl?r tank, a closure plug therefor, a feed piped eadlng from the supply tank to the stan said eed pipe,A means :forl automatically controllin discharge of lubricant from the tank by t e rise and fall of lubricant in the stand ipe, and an operating rod for the cut oil valve provided Within handle adapted to overlie the closure plug of the tank when the said valve is open to provide a lock for the said plug.

2` A supp y system for internal coinbustion engines including a supply tank adapted for connection with an engine crank case, closure means for the tank, means for cutting oil' discharge from the tank, vent means for the tank control the discharge from, and operating means for said cut off means adapted to permit release of said closure means only when the cut oil' means is CloSed. Y

3. A lubricant supply system for internal combustion engines including a supporting when the valve is o n, closure plu 32 of the this latter p ug a ainst Consequent y, it

mank case; when the invention,

.crank case,

ipe, a cut oil' valve interposed in thc4 adapted to automatically of lubricant theremember having a body hollowed out to provide a chamber, a standpipe mounted upon the body and communicatin with the u per end of said chamber, an out et leading rom the bottom portion of said chamber and having` its passage extendin across the plane of the bottom en d of sai `stand pipe, `an inlet leading into the chamber, the outlet being adapted for attachment to an engine a supply tank connected with the inlet, and means for ventin the tank and adapted to be closed by t e rise of lubricant 'within the `stand pipe.

4. A lubricant supply 's stem for internal combustion engines including a supporting lleinberhavihg a body hollowed out to pro- 'title a chamber and provided with a flange projectin into the chamber adjacent t ve upper en thereof, a stand pipe rested at its lower end upon said flan to communicate with the upper end of said chamber, means engaging over the stand pipe and connecting the'pipe with the body, an inlet leading into the chamber, an outletf leading from the bottom portion of the chamber and having its passage extending across the plane of the bottom end of said stand pipe, said outlet being adapted for attachment to an en` gine crank case, a supply tank connected with the inlet, and means for venting the tank and adapted to ,be closed by the rise of lubricant within the stand pipe.

5. A supply system for internal combustion engines including a supply tank adapted for cpnnection with an engine crank case, a closure plug for the tank, vent means for the tank adapted to automatically control the discharge of lubricant therefrom, a cut off valve controlling discharge from the tank, means for operating the valve, and means carried by said latter means to eoact with the closure plug when the valve is open for locking the plug against displacement.

(i. A supply system for internal combustion engines including a supply tank adapted for connection with an engine crank case, closure means for the tank, vmeans for cutting olf discharge from the tank, vent means for the tank adapted to automatically control the discharge of lubricant therefrom, operating mean,` for said cut oil' means, and means carried by said operating means to conct with the closure means when said cut oil' means is open for locking the closure means against displacement.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

STEVIE L. MARTIN. [a 3.] 

